


Finally

by teakturn



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Best Friends, Black Character(s), College, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Prompt Fic, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25216798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teakturn/pseuds/teakturn
Summary: Erik and Y/N have been best friends since freshman year, could they ever become more?
Relationships: Erik Killmonger/Original Female Character(s), Erik Killmonger/Original Female Character(s) of Color, Erik Killmonger/Reader
Kudos: 36





	Finally

You slipped on your shoes and zipped up the stolen hoodie to cover the assets you’d been happy showing off the night before but thought too much for a 7 am run across campus. You searched with your eyes for your shoes, remembering distantly your lover for the night tossing them over his shoulder as he took them off.

You smiled remembering the look on his face as he stripped you down to the little you’d worn under your dress. You couldn’t remember his name, but you left him with a note of thanks and signed it with a kiss. On your way out you spied the shiny metal of the heel of your stiletto and retrieved it from under his desk where they’d fallen.

Almost as soon as you hit the pavement outside your fuck buddies dorm, your phone rang. You didn’t even check it, knowing there was only one person who would call you this early in the morning.

“Still alive, nigga. Still number one in the class.”

The smacking of teeth greeted you, “Smartass your days are numbered.” In a calmer voice, your best friend continued, “You headed out now? Want me to meet you somewhere.”

You rolled your eyes and fought off a smile. Erik could be aggravating, arrogant, and a pain in your ass but he’d been your best friend since freshman year. He cared about you underneath all his shit talk and you were more than willing to fight for his annoying but.

“I’m gonna get breakfast. Meet me at the caf near my old dorm.”

“In ya walk of shame outfit?” Erik whistled, “You betta than me.”

Sucking your teeth you let him know, “Ain’t no shame in my game Stevens. Meet me in the caf or I won’t save yo ass a seat.” You hung up before he could reply and decided to enjoy your walk across campus. You may be in last night’s dress and some random dudes hood, but you still looked cute as fuck. No one could tell you anything.

Because you were a nice person and knew Erik hated eating in the cafeteria with other people, you chose a comfortable booth in the unfinished half of the caf and spread out breakfast for two. Erik liked to pick off your plate and you had no problems stabbing him over your shit, so you two came to a compromise of you buying a little extra and him keeping his hands to himself.

The hoodie you wore was a little long so you took it off and used it as a barrier between the sticky pleather and your bare thighs. Erik arrived as you began your pancake ritual: butter on each side, cut into triangles, and then slathered with maple syrup.

Without him saying a word you slid your perfectly dressed pancakes to his part of the table and started on the other stack.

“You know how to take care of me, princess,” he grinned at you and started in on your plate.

You rolled your eyes, ready to tell him not to expect this every time y’all shared a meal only to find him not looking anywhere near your face. You followed his gaze and only saw miles of soft skin, you liked low cut dresses and this particular dress had a slit almost to your belly button and a bodice that began only slightly above where your nipples were.

You’d worn the dress in search of a man and had succeeded. 

Erik’s eyes seemed so focused on something yet you couldn’t see a stain or splatters of syrup anywhere.

“Did I spill?” You asked, swiping a paper towel up and down your decolletage just in case.

Erik shook his head and blinked, “Uh.. Nah. You good.” He turned back to his plate and shoved three slices of thick-cut bacon and two triangles of pancake in his mouth.

You studied him a moment longer, waiting for him to let you in on the joke. Yet Erik remained focused only on stuffing his face. Deciding to let it go you dug into your plate and together you both ate in silence.

“You got Chem at 4 right?” Erik asked later on as he gathered your trays and dirty plates together.

“Yeah, till 6:30. I share that class with Tre so I was gonna force him to give me a ride.”

Erik shook his head and left the table to discard your trays. “You really have a way with words, Princess.”

Fluffing your hair you smiled at him, “Don’t I?”

As you exited the booth Erik was quick to snatch up the hoodie you’d been sitting on and thrust it at your chest, “Why you always gotta force a nigga to do something? Why can’t you let him take the lead and offer? Like most chicks.”

Snorting you took the hoodie and knotted it around your waist. Erik frowned, so you elaborated, “If I waited for a man to take the lead I’d be waiting my whole life. I learned a long time ago that you can’t expect a man to do for you, you gotta show him how you expect to be treated.”

Together y’all exited the cafeteria and set a lazy pace down the path across the quad.

“So Tre’s your man now?” Erik’s voice was tight as he said it.

You laughed, “Don’t worry Erik, you’re still my favorite,” You threw your body into his side and gripped his cheeks. He had a pouty look on his face you made it worse by pinching his lips together and wiggling his head.

He shook his head out of your grip with a snap of his teeth but didn’t push you off, “What I tell you ‘bout puttin’ ya hands on my face, girl?”

“To do it more cause you love it?” You allowed yourself to be moved but turned your embrace into something more comfortable by looping your arm around his waist and placing his around your shoulders.

Erik’s expression eased as you moved him into a more comfortable hug but he was quick to say, “You smell like syrup. I don’t want all that sticky shit in my beard.”

You cackled at that, “Nigga what beard?”

* * *

Erik walked you back to your dorm where you showered, redid your hair, and then met him outside to start the ten-minute walk to his apartment. Your roommates were nice and all but it was hard to study with seven other bitches in the same suite. Erik’s apartment had been a gift from his uncle, as had his Lambo, the watch gleaming on his wrist, and the wing of the library named after his father.

Erik never talked about these things and you only knew because you’d stayed up with him the nightmares got too bad and sat with him at the cemetery on the eve of his father’s birthday. Everyone else judged Erik by his family name and the flashy things, but you say him for who he was and you appreciated the man underneath it all.

Your first year you’d had a major crush on Erik Stevens Udaku. He was all dimpled smiles and confident swagger and 18-year-old you had been weak in the knees at the sight of him. Your crush gave you the courage to approach him to form a study group when you shared a few classes but you never asked him out.

Soon, he went from Erik your crush to Erik your best friend and you gave up all hope of a romantic relationship with him. He never seemed interested and while you may have wanted to lick the sweat off his left titty you weren’t the type to beg someone to like you.

Still, it gave you a little thrill to climb onto Erik’s bed and flop around while he locked the door and started his speaker.

Eyeing you from the desk Erik smacked his teeth, “I don’t even know why I try making my bed. You always come in here and fuck it up.”

“Yeah I don’t know either,” you bit your lip to keep from smiling at the expression on his face and settled down against the wall behind his bed.

You always had a class together every semester and you both were the only people who could stand each other for long periods. Study sessions at Erik’s were your favorite and you expected this once to be like all the other’s y’all had shared before. Pizza, music, a movie once you were both too burnt out to continue, and then you’d share his bed if it was too late for you to go home.

You wouldn’t get to experience that particular pleasure (his bed had to be made out of clouds or something) but you’d enjoy it while you had it.

Erik joined you on his bed, sitting close but not too close. He took out textbooks and notebooks and began cross-referencing the notes from the last class session and the textbook. You were more focused on rewriting your lazy scribble into something nearing neat in a second notebook. Checking Erik’s textbook occasionally if you couldn’t read your handwriting.

Hours passed in comfortable silence, broken up only by the sounds of pages turning and pens scratching against notebook paper. Erik made you both take a break and eat lunch. You snuck food off his plate and reminded him you had Chemistry coming up and needed the brain food.

“You so fuckin’ greedy,” Erik complained, shielding his plate from an aerial attack from your fork.

“And you so stingy! Can’t you see I’m starving? I’m trying to help you do the polite thing and share your food with your starving guest.”

Erik reared out of range of your fork, shielding his plate with one arm, “Oh you’re a guest now.”

“Of course I’m a guest I don’t live here do I?” you countered, intelligently.

“I don’t know do you!” he shouted back. Blocking your fork again.

“What does that even mean?” You cocked an eyebrow and tried to stop eyeing his plate.

Erik rolled his eyes. Then extended the plate to you. Allowing you to pluck what you wanted off his plate with only the most exaggerated of all suffering sighs. Once you were satisfied, you finished your (and a small portion of his) meal with a smile on your face.

“I gotta go, but I’ll call you tonight, yeah?” You gathered your trash and got off Erik’s bed. After collecting the rest of the trash you started towards the door, only to remember Erik still hadn’t answered.

You turned and looked at him expectantly.

Not meeting your eyes, he played with a loose thread on his pillowcase. After a moment he said, “Thought you were gonna be with Tre tonight.”

Your head tilted in confusion, “Obviously I’d call you once I was done with him,”

Erik scoffed, “'Done with him' wow. Do you even hear yourself sometimes?”

Confused and feeling defensive, you turned towards Erik and crossed your arms. “You wanna elaborate for those of us not on your train of thought?”

“You’re so dismissive of the men in your life it gets pretty fucking tiring. How do I know you’re not talking about me this way with one of your niggas?”

You nearly took a step back. _Where had all this come from?Erik_ liked it when you were bossy and stuck up for yourself.

Where did he get off accusing you of using the men in your life when he was no better?

“Oh and the women you have coming in and out your apartment are leaving with their dignity intact yes? You don’t tell M’Baku and W’Kabi all your down and dirty secrets?”

With a scowl, Erik said, “Those are my boys,” as if that explained anything.

“And you’re my best friend! I would think I could come to you-”

“About the niggas you fuck?”

“About anything!” You practically shrieked.

How had y’all gotten to this point? Not even five minutes ago you’d both been chilling. You went over the reading and the stupid online program your class used. And enjoyed each other's company. Now you were both yelling at each other and you couldn’t remember how it’d gotten to this point.

“Erik,” you said, trying hard to sound calm and collected when all you wanted to do was tell him he was being a dick. “Do you have a problem with me talking to you about the guys I’m with?”

“And if I do?” he spoke to the floor.

Nodding, you answered honestly, “Then I won’t talk about it with you anymore. You’re my best friend and I don’t want us to fight over stupid stuff.” Approaching him you sat as close as you dared on the bed. When he didn’t move away, you placed a hand on his back.

“If you want to tell me something just do it, okay? I don’t like it when we blow up at each other like this.”

Erik nodded his eyes on the bedspread. Before you could worry, he reached around and grabbed your hand, bringing you closer to him while still maintaining his position in the bed.

“Sorry I was a dick princess,” He kissed your forehead and like magic, all of the tension bled out of you. Easy as pie, you forgave him.

“Just don’t do it again. I really care about you,” shoving his chest you hopped off the bed, “Stupid.”

* * *

Later that night you left Chemistry with Tre, your fuck buddy of the last four months, trailing behind you. You’d sat next to him in Chem and took diligent notes. And you liked sending him a few nsfs notes when the opportunity presented itself. He had a car, and you both had made a lot of memories in the front and back seat.

For now, you just wanted a ride home. Your conversation with Erik had left you unsettled and now you wanted to get home and call him.

“And I just think they should pay student-athletes. I mean have you seen how much money they bring into the school.” Tre started talking about college sports as soon as you asked him if he’d gone to the homecoming game. And he hadn’t shut up since.

You took the stairs out of the lecture hall at a brisk pace. Trying to lose Tre to get away from the conversation but also trying to keep him in your orbit so he could offer you a ride. The more he spoke the more you started rethinking getting in a car with him. No way would you have sex with him now. But the appearance of a certain someone saved you from having to make a difficult choice.

“You forgot your notebook, princess,” Erik smirked. He stood, like a beacon of hope, under a streetlamp. His scarf and coat were wrapped tight to his body to keep out the late-night chill. But to you, he seemed to radiate heat and warmth. Without giving Tre another glance you made your excuses and skipped to join Erik.

Without a word, he looped his scarf around your neck and bundled you into his coat. While you fiddled with the zipper he took your backpack and slung it over his shoulder. In unison, you set out on the path leading back towards your dorms.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I was a fucking dickhead and I wasn’t trying to be.”

You shrugged and enjoyed the chilled late night air. You didn’t always get to walk late at night but when you could you appreciated it. With Erik by your side, you didn’t worry about the places the streetlights couldn’t reach. You enjoyed the moon and stars and the way the whole campus seemed to grow quiet around you.

“I get it, I can go a little overboard in my disregard for men. I wouldn’t like it if you were calling women ‘female’ and started going off about how they're all gold diggers.”

Erik laughed and for a while, you continued walking in comfortable silence.

“I think I was upset ‘cause...what if you talked about me that way?”

You stared at his profile, _What?_

“I only talk that way about dudes I’m... talking to. I’d never talk about you that way.”

Erik sighed when you said that. He cursed under his breath and you stared at him, more confused than ever.

“What if I wanted you to... _talk_ to me?”

At that, you stopped walking, certain you hadn’t heard him right.

“Erik, what are you talking about?” You tried to study his face but he refused to look at you. Finally, you grew fed up and gripped him by his cheeks again. You knew he didn’t like it but he had to look at you at some point.

Staring deep into his warm, brown eyes you asked with so much sincerity your voice shook, “What’s going on? I don’t understand what’s gotten into you and….” You bit your lip, “I don’t want to make assumptions but… do you want to _“talk”_ to me,”

Erik shook his face out of your grip but he met your eyes without difficulty, “I want to be your man, princess. Point blank period. None of this talking or foolin’ around bullshit.”

Taking a deep breath you stepped out of Erik’s orbit and let the cold that rushed between your bodies sober you. How many nights had you lied awake waiting for him to say this to you? How long had you stared at him, loving him with every fiber of your being and knowing he didn’t feel the same? And now he wanted you to what? Make him your man? Based on what?

“You don’t even like me,” you started walking again, holding your arms to your body to keep from reaching out. To keep from seeking the warmth of his skin.

Erik kept pace with you and stared into your eyes until you were forced to look away, “Says who?”

“Says you! We’ve been friends for almost three years and you’ve never shown the slightest interest in me. I’ve had four relationships since we met! Never once did you make any kind of move.”

As you listed the reasons he couldn’t want you, you picked up speed. By the time Erik had formulated his response, you were speedwalking across the quad. Not quite outrunning the uncomfortable conversation but it was obvious you were trying to get away.

Erik kept pace with you and listed off his reasons, “I’ve been feelin’ you since freshman year. I tried to ask you out but you were already dating a shady nigga named Michael so... I was _trying_.” he put so much emphasis on the word you rolled your eyes at his dramatics, “to be a good friend. You made me ya friend. I wanted ya panties day one.”

You scoffed, “You couldn’t handle my panties, let’s start there.” He huffed, you couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or trying to catch his breath. You both were almost running down the path, your dorm was in sight.

“I gave several hints that my magic box was yours for the taking and you didn’t catch them. Aside from literally showing up naked with a bow around my shit how much more obvious could I have been?”

Erik huffed, “I don’t know? Maybe stop fucking other men?”

“Then how else would I get your attention?”

You came to a stop at the stairs leading to your dorm. Glaring at each other and panting from your speedwalk across campus. 

Erik looked like a pit bull with his nose all scrunched up and one corner of his mouth raised in annoyance. You looked no better, glaring at him and daring him to say something smart. Adrenaline made your heartbeat pound in your ears. You felt strong enough to smack a bitch ten times your size, taking down Erik would be no problem.

“So what you’re saying is,” he began, pausing only to catch his breath, “I coulda been hittin’ it from the back two years ago?”

“Duh, nigga! I all but opened my legs like a candy store for you,”

He smirked at that imagery and his eyes danced up and down your body, “So what’s keeping me from hittin’ it now?”

Without missing a beat you smacked his chest and turned to set off on the path towards his apartment.

“You’re the dumbass who took me back to my dorm. If we get to your apartment before dawn maybe I’ll let you lick my-”

You didn’t get a chance to finish your sentence before Erik ran up behind you and scooped you into his arms. He set a brisk pace towards his dorm, focus, lust, and determination set in his face.

You laughed and made yourself comfortable in his grip. Sure, it took two years but you were getting what you wanted: every bit of Erik Stevens.


End file.
